Better Off Friends

“It’s about time I get some respect from you.” He then gestured for me to twirl around.

“In your dreams.”

“Hey, it couldn’t hurt to ask.”

“I wouldn’t press your luck on that.” I lifted up a pillow and pretended to hit him.

“You wouldn’t hurt a man who’s in such a delicate condition, would you?” He stuck out his lip in a pout.

“You don’t know me very well.”

His eyes lit up. “Actually, I do. Could you hand me my bag?”

I obliged.

Levi dug around the duffel. “I have a surprise for you.” He then presented a DVD of the Buggy and Floyd Christmas Special.

“Where did you get this?” I knew it had aired in the UK a couple weeks ago, but I had no idea when it was coming stateside.

“I have co

I tore open the case and put the disc in. “Did you watch it?”

“No way. Not without you.”

I didn’t know if I would’ve had the same willpower.

I curled up on the couch next to Levi. We both began singing the Buggy and Floyd theme song at the top of our lungs.

“Gah! I’m so excited!” I reached out to playfully punch Levi but stopped myself, not wanting to actually hit a man while he was down.

The special was an hour long, so we got double the Buggy. It was a surprisingly poignant episode. Generally, Floyd was getting Buggy out of whatever wild fiasco he’d gotten himself into. But within the first five minutes, Floyd left Buggy. “I can’t take your tomfoolery!” he exclaimed.

“Who’s Tom and who’s he foolin’?” Buggy replied, to the laughter of the studio audience.

“You’re a grown man, Theodore.” Floyd used Buggy’s proper name for the first time I could remember. “It’s time you act like it.” And he walked out.

“Wow,” I exclaimed. “I can’t believe Floyd did that.” I knew they were fictional characters, but this was so unlike them. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep watching. I liked my memories of them as the fu

“I know,” Levi said in a quiet voice. “I mean, it’s a miracle Floyd didn’t do it sooner. He can be so crotchety.”

I paused the DVD. “Did you just use the word crotchety?”

“Ah, yeah.” He looked at me incredulously. “All Floyd does is complain about Buggy and pretty much all of society. He’s always making little comments about how he doesn’t understand the way certain things are. Sure, it’s fu

“You have to admit that Floyd has a point most of the time.”

Levi started laughing. “Oh my God. Yes! How am I only seeing this now?”

“Seeing what?”

He pointed at me. “You’re Floyd!”

“I’m what?” My mouth was open. I couldn’t believe Levi was comparing me to some crotchety old British man.

“You’re always making these observations like ‘Why does Keith think he’s superior just because he can tackle a guy?’ ”

“That’s a valid observation,” I defended.

“And ‘Why do people say L-O-L — aren’t they supposed to be laughing? Have we become that lazy of a society?’ ”

“Like that doesn’t drive you crazy.”

Levi was really laughing now. “It all makes sense why you like this show so much.”

“So does this make you Buggy?” I shot back.

“Well, he is hilarious.”

“He’s also a complete bumbling fool, so I guess …” I sank back in the seat.

“Okay, okay.” Levi grabbed the remote from me. “We’ll put the show back on. Don’t want to get your old-man undies in a bunch.”

This time I did hit him.

“Ouch.” He rubbed his shoulder.

“Blimey if I could help it.” I gave him a goofy grin before turning back to the TV.

We watched as Buggy and Floyd struggled without each other. It hit close to home in a way. Buggy was caught in the rain while a depressing song played as he roamed around aimlessly. I started to feel tears sting the back of my eyes. I couldn’t believe an episode of Buggy and Floyd was going to make me cry.

Floyd rounded the corner with a large gold umbrella. He paused as he saw his former best friend. He walked slowly toward him.

Levi grabbed my hand.

Floyd covered Buggy with his umbrella.

“It’s London,” Floyd said. “You know you need a brolly year-round.”

Buggy smiled shyly at him. “You’re right. Blimey if —” He stopped himself.

Was this the end of Buggy’s punch line? Levi and I exchanged a look.

Buggy continued. “No, what I want right now is a brolly to shield me from the rain. But what I need is me best friend.”

Floyd put his arm around Buggy. “Blimey if I could’ve said it better me self.”

They headed back to their flat to open Christmas presents. There were a few more comical moments, but the entire episode left me reflective, pondering the difference between what you want and what you need.

Levi and I sat in silence for a few minutes while the credits played.

“Well.” Levi finally spoke. “That was unexpected. It was sort of deep.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “It was good, though.”

“It was …” Levi stared off into the distance.

I turned on the TV to watch the countdown to the New Year. We made small talk about the various singers and actors on TV.

Then it came to the countdown. Levi and I held out glasses of sparkling cider and clinked as confetti rained down in New York City.

“Happy New Year!” I leaned over and gave him a hug.

“Happy New Year!” His smile quickly vanished. “Hey, Macallan?”

Something about the tone of his voice set me on edge. “Yeah?”

“Do you want — I mean, do you need me to take you to the winter dance?”

That wasn’t what I was expecting. Although I really didn’t know what I should’ve expected.

“You know how I feel about high school dances.”

He smiled. “I certainly do, Floyd.”

I glared at him. “I don’t need to go.”

“Okay, but do you want to go?”

I nodded. “Sure, but I’m not going to go for the sake of going. If I find someone I want to go with, I’ll go. If I don’t, the sun will still rise the next day.”

“But I made you that promise,” he reminded me.

The promise. The one we made before high school about not letting one of us attend a function alone. That lasted for the first half of the year, then I started seeing Ian, and Levi started seeing Carrie. Then we weren’t really speaking. And now he was with Stacey.

“It’s okay,” I said. Because it was. Would I have fun with Levi at the dance? Of course. But that wouldn’t be fair to Stacey.

“Macallan?” Levi leaned toward me. “What do you want?”

It seemed like a simple question, but it wasn’t. With our history, it was as charged as a stick of dynamite. One wrong move and boom — our friendship would be in pieces.

Was this really a conversation we should be having when he was so vulnerable and I was so … ? I didn’t know what I was, besides confused.

“I know what I want.” I stood up. Levi looked expectantly. “Pie, I want some pie.”

I went upstairs. I studied my face in the kitchen window. I knew better. We both did.

We had both been burned before. There was no way I was going to play with that fire.

Do you know why I didn’t kiss you at midnight?

Because you valued your life?

That. And I didn’t know what you’d do. Probably run away to the Arctic.

You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?

Let me think…. Nope.

Figures.

Yeah, well, at least I have this one thing over you.

True.

And you have so much over me.

That’s because of your actions, not mine.

Whatever, Floyd.

Oh, you’re going to pay for that.

I have no doubt.